A/N: A big shoutout to my DeviantART pal Naguro, who helped with the French dialogue in this chapter. Thanks again!

Chapter 37 – Trip to Daoyin

"Are you okay?!" Pelame frantically asked Mori.

"Yeah, Pelame, I'm fine," Mori answered. "Thanks to you, father, and Latios, that is. Gosh, I thought I was doomed to drown in that lake…"

"I'm happy to see you're safe, Mori." Pelame gave Mori an affectionate nuzzle, to the shock of his family.

"Uh… you know she is touching you, right?" Hanada said to her cousin.

"She's Twilit, Hana," Mori responded. "She was raised—"

"No, I'm not," Pelame interrupted.

"Mori, you shouldn't have said that…" Blessing lamented.

"Huh? Why not?" Mori asked.

"I'm not Twilit. I never was."

"Thing is, she disowned her Twilit heritage out of her hatred of King Kangaskhan II," Treasure summarized.

"Wait, weren't you training with him?" Mori asked.

"Yes, I was!" Pelame snapped. "And he stabbed me and all of Pocketurn in the back! I hate him! I HATE HIM!"

"Pelame, calm down!" Neve ordered.

"We did hear that he invaded Swadfrieg," Zaki chimed in. "Is that what your daughter's talking about?"

"That's only a small part of it…" Neve began.

She then recounted what had happened from when Pelame was taken under the king's wing up to his conquest of Swadfrieg.

"That… is diabolical!" Mori said, outraged. "And to think we at TIGHS cheered you and him on when he was just using you!"

"It's okay, Mori," Pelame reassured. "None of us knew what he was up to. But now that things went the way they did, he'll live to regret it. As Arceus is my witness, his whole army will die!"

"Pelame…?"

"Hey, Pelame, little reality check," Blessing interjected. "Did you forget that your own father and boyfriend are members of the king's army?"

"Who?" Pelame curtly asked.

"Pinna and Pugno. Your father and boy—"

"I have no father! And no boyfriend, either!"

Mori's whole family was mortified at Pelame's announcement.

"Pelame, listen to yourself!" Neve begged. "You would actually kill your own father? And the boy you dated? Isn't it bad enough you already killed an Elite Nine?"

"She WHAT?!" Zeki cried in shock. "Mori, your friend's a murderer?!"

"I'm not a murderer!" Pelame defended. "I'm a savior! I rescued Denkidako from Walton's tyranny!"

"Well… yeah, you did, but you didn't need to do it by killing Walton like you did," Blessing said. "Pelame, I've been to jail twice, both times among Pokémon who'd done the same thing. I never thought you'd do such a thing, Pelame. This isn't anything like you. For crying out loud, she was begging you for mercy, and you still killed her!"

"Whoa! That's a war crime!" Zaki exclaimed.

"Why are you acting like I did a bad thing?!" Pelame demanded of Blessing.

"Saving Denkidako's not a bad thing!" Blessing contested. "We're happy you did that! But the problem is the cold-blooded murder you committed! You already Purified her at that time! You could've just taken her as a prisoner!"

"Walton helped betray Pocketurn! She deserved what I did to her!"

"Pelame, are you for real right now?! You sound just like the serial killers I went to jail with! You're being completely unreasonable!"

"No I'm not! I appear to be the only one here with any reason left!"

"And now, you sound just like the king!"

Pelame was stunned beyond words at what Blessing just told her. All she could do was glare at her. Blessing noticed the look Pelame was giving her was terrifyingly similar to the death glare she gave to the king back in Swadfrieg. She never thought Pelame would ever be in such a dangerous state of mind, let alone direct a vengeful glare at a friend, a glare that was intensifying. All of a sudden, Pelame charged at Blessing, Tackling her to the ground.

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU TRAITOROUS BROAD!" Pelame screamed in her friend's face as she clawed at it.

"Pelame, cut that out!" Neve ordered, coming up to her daughter to try to pry her off of Blessing. Pelame reflexively used Iron Tail and hit her mother across the face, sending her hurtling backwards into the wall. Mere seconds afterward, Pelame realized what she just did. She stopped grappling with Blessing and jumped off of her. She turned and saw her mother crying on the ground with a bleeding nose, and back at Blessing, who had scratch marks on her face. All who saw what Pelame just did were frightened of her. It sunk in as soon as she saw it all.

"What have I done?" Pelame asked of herself, appalled. Overwhelmed and shocked at herself, she ran out of Eroma's house.

"Pelame…" Neve lamented.

Pelame arrived back at her old house and went up to her room. She looked at herself in the mirror.

"What's the matter with you?!" she demanded of her own reflection. "How could you break your own mother's nose, you monster?!"

"Looks like you're really no different from a good amount of your foes, eh, Pelame?"

Pelame perked up once she heard that most unpleasant of presences.

"It's a shame, really. If only you weren't an Alpha from Grani's line, you'd be the perfect Demon-type. Breaking your own mother's nose, clawing your good friend in the face, justifying murder; why, you're right to call yourself a monster!"

"Just… SHUT UP, UNOD! I don't need you heckling me right now!"

"Oh, but it's not likely your friends will remain your friends after what you just did. Besides, why even trust others, huh? You trusted King Kangaskhan II, and what did he do? He used you to free me and trap me in that Request Stone of his! Complete betrayal of the trust you so kindly gave to him! And your father and ex-boyfriend remaining on the despot's side can't be overlooked, either! Face it, Pelame: your remaining 'friends' could betray you, too. Because that's what this world is full of: betrayal."

"…you're wrong…"

"Am I? Hmph. You may think you trust them, but you lie to yourself. I know you're contemplating that all-too-real possibility of them turning on you. You're not fooling me. You're not even doing that good a job fooling yourself."

Pelame had no rebuttal to that.

"Embrace your mistrust. Believe in nobody, not even yourself. Because even you could betray you."

Having had enough of this, Pelame shot a Swift attack into the mirror, breaking it. She then collapsed onto her bed in tears, crying into her pillow.

Neve, Blessing, Treasure, and Mori's family were still comprehending the meltdown they all bore witness to.

"Gosh…" Mori lamented. "She was never like that in TIGHS, even at her most stressed. She seemed really distraught."

"That's no excuse!" Blessing argued.

"I'm not saying it is. I'm just saying I understand why she's acting this way."

"She was thoroughly betrayed by someone she trusted, as well as by her own father and boyfriend," Neve added. She started for the door. "Come along. Pelame could use some friends."

"Friends, you say?" Blessing replied curtly. "She's sure not treating us like friends. And frankly, I don't see why I should remain friends with her. Again, I know she's been through a lot, but she doesn't get to just treat us like junk because of it! It's not like we betrayed her!"

"She's still my daughter. She needs me."

"Well, go if you want, Neve. Pelame's lost my respect. I'm staying here."

"*sigh*… very well…" Neve left for her old house.

"Blessing, Neve has a point," Treasure interjected. "Pelame needs us—"

"Treasure, I'm not ready to try making up with her yet!"

"Okay… okay…"

Neve reached home, having quelled the bleeding of her nose on the way. She went upstairs to her daughter's bedroom and knocked on it.

"Pelame, dear?" she called inside.

No response.

"Are you doing okay?"

Still no answer.

"Well, I'll be here the rest of the night, and tomorrow. Whenever you want to talk, I'll listen." Neve went to her room and retired for the night.

Over in Tradja, Keldeo, Pinna, Pugno, and Benedict had located a mine near the Northern Mountain Range. They entered along with five lower-ranking troops.

"Remember, everyone," Keldeo said. "Those Orbs of Silence are colored black and made of glass. Be careful with them."

"You sure they're here, though?" Pugno asked.

"Well, our radar's picking something up. There's always the possibility that it's exactly what we're looking for. We'll test them once we find them. Understand?"

"Got it," responded all the available soldiers.

Keldeo then received a signal from his Twilit Sigil. He turned to his hips and answered.

"Yeah, what?! I'm busy!" he answered curtly.

"Sorry to disturb you, Captain," Dible said. "Or are you currently working as a Judge now?"

"At this moment: Captain. Now what is it?!"

"I wouldn't disturb you for something trivial. I'm contacting you because something awful has happened. You remember how Walton gained control of Denkidako?"

"Don't tell me she lost it…"

"Worse, sir. She lost control of Denkidako… because she was killed."

"Come again?!"

"The Raticate Raiders bore witness to it. A group of Pokémon led by Pelame rescued a traitor that was to be executed, and then Pelame chased Walton into the Powerhouse of the Denkidako Dam and pushed her off the roof. She died upon hitting the spillway. I'm sorry, sir."

"Thanks for letting me know, Dible. Walton will be avenged."

The signal stopped. Keldeo turned to the troops to deliver the bad news.

The next morning was Ninthmonth 9th, 1512. Neve got up early to prepare a special breakfast for everyone in the house. She was hoping Blessing and Treasure would come back, but they hadn't yet arrived. She went outside to get the mail, finding that everyone's new Zotoan Citizenship forms had arrived.

"Hmm… why is Pelame's missing?" she thought. But she didn't have time to focus on that, as she had a meal to make. In the next seven minutes, she was done. She went upstairs to wake her daughter. She entered the bedroom and gasped in shock. She went up to the bed and found a note on the pillow.

To Mom,

I am very sorry I hit you last night. I shouldn't have taken my anger at the Twilight Kingdom out on you. I don't want to hurt you, my last remaining family member, anymore. That's why I'm going to Daoyin on my own. I've taken my Citizenship forms out of today's mail, so if you find it missing, that's why. We'll meet again one day. Best of luck to you.

Love,
Pelame

P.S.: Can you let Blessing know I apologize to her, too?

"Pelame… why…?" Neve wondered out loud in a tone of distress. "Don't you know I'm not mad…?"

"Well, Neve, I don't know how you aren't…" Blessing said as she got upstairs. "…, but then again, she's your daughter."

"Blessing! There you are! And Treasure, too!"

"Eh, I got talked by Treasure into returning. That, and Mori's immediate family is rather persuasive. And they're also waiting downstairs."

"Oh?" Neve went downstairs to greet her guests. "Welcome! Sorry I got here so late!"

"It's no problem, Ms. Neve," Zeki responded. "How's your daughter doing?"

"She's gone. She left this note." She showed the note to everyone.

"Well, at least she's realized what she's done in her wrath," Zaki responded.

"Not really," Blessing said cynically. "She still thinks she was right to kill Walton. And for the record, I don't accept her apology." Her expression softened a little bit. "But I'm coming along anyway. I know you all want to follow her to Daoyin. Well, I'm not gonna be left here. Besides, once we catch up to Pelame, I can give her a piece of my mind!"

"So, I guess we've got a destination set," Treasure said. "Thing is, though, Pelame took her things with her. And the Eon Flute was part of her luggage, so we're taking the long way there."

"And we can take you there," Zaki offered. "After all, Daoyin's on the way to our house. We'll drop you off."

"Furthermore, after almost drowning yesterday, I'd be more comfortable flying out of a safer city," Mori added. "Speaking of which, I gotta call TIGHS and let them know why I'm late. They were expecting me back by this time. May I please use the phone?"

"Certainly," Neve permitted.

Mori made his call while everyone else got Zeki's van all packed up for the trip.

"Who can I even trust anymore…" Pelame mentally lamented as she boarded the train to Daoyin. The distance from Rogokosoka to Daoyin meant a train trip of roughly six hours. She showed her ticket to the conductor as she found a seat in the train's caboose. As she loved to do since her childhood, she picked the back left seat. As she sat down, the train pulled out of the station. She placed her backpack on the seat next to her.

"Ce siège est-il libre?" asked a sneasel who was walking by. Pelame noticed the passenger's brown fur and blue feathers, indicating that this was a Blooman sneasel, in addition to his speaking of the Old Blooman language. The long head feather meant the passenger was male.

"Excuse me?" Pelame asked.

"J'aimerai m'asseoir ici. Vous gardez ce siège pour quelqu'un?"

"Sorry, sir. I don't speak Old Blooman."

"Vous ne parlez pas le vieux Blooman, n'est-ce pas?"

"Do you speak Modern Pocketurn?"

"Qu'est-ce que vous voulez? Je veux juste m'asseoir."

Pelame sighed and shrugged. "Sorry, but I don't know what to do here."

"Oubliez, je vais trouver une autre place." The sneasel left the caboose to search for another place to sit.

"Did he want to sit next to me?" Pelame wondered. "Because I don't want anyone near me right now."

On the whole trip, Pelame gave a direct refusal to everyone who asked to sit in the seat next to her. She fell asleep about three hours into the trip. One hour after that, a young chespin with six points on his shell helmet (signaling that he was Doxivish) took the seat next to Pelame, moving her backpack over. His chesnaught mother took the seat across from Pelame. Thirty minutes later, Pelame awakened, feeling refreshed. Upon seeing the chespin child next to her, she accosted him.

"Where's my backpack, thief?!" she demanded of the scared child.

"I didn't steal it!" the child defended. "It's under the seat!"

"Then get it!"

"Here you go," said the child's chesnaught mother, giving her backpack back to her.

"Thanks," Pelame curtly replied. "But the seat next to me is taken. Teach your brat to respect personal space, will you?!"

"You've got nerve calling my son that!"

"Well, what was he doing near my things?!"

"You were asleep! How were we supposed to know you were saving that seat?!"

"I had my backpack next to me! It doesn't exactly take an alakazam to know that that usually means a seat's taken!"

"Oh. That's why you had your backpack next to you?"

"Exactly!"

"I see. Sorry to have troubled you."

"Well, you might as well just stay here. Looks like there's nowhere else to sit."

"I think we'll do that, then."

"But mom! I don't wanna sit next to the mean eevee!" complained the child.

"Then sit next to me." The child did so.

"Sorry… for thinking you stole my backpack," Pelame said to the chespin boy. She looked at his mother. "And sorry for arguing with you. I've just been really stressed lately."

"No offense, but I could tell," said the chesnaught mother. "Life's been quite stressful for us, too. We had to quickly escape from Swadfrieg when it got conquered."

"Pardon me?! But aren't you two Doxivish?"

"Only in physical ethnicity. I met my husband when I moved to Swadfrieg, and we've lived there ever since. But then, the Twilight King suddenly invaded and conquered the country. He got rid of everything Friegan and replaced it with Twilit stuff. He erased Swadfrieg and everything about it from the world."

"What happened to your husband?"

"He got caught by the Twilit Army. Only my son and I escaped."

"…I see…"

"We got on a plane that turned out to be heading here to Shizazoto, so now we're trying to find another airport that'll get us to Pumbloomberg in a timely manner. They're a very safe nation."

"Indeed, it is. Pumbloomberg's military is very strong. Even as strong as he currently is, King Kangaskhan II wouldn't dare take on Pumbloomberg as he is now."

"So, where are you headed?"

"Daoyin. I'm going to see Emperor Kentahito. I have an appointment with him."

"That's very neat! I hope it goes well."

Just then, the train's PA sounded. "OUR NEXT STOP WILL BE QINLONG STATION."

"That's us, Shelby," the chesnaught said to her son. "Let's go." She got up and carried her son with her. "Good luck with seeing the Emperor, young lady."

"Thanks," Pelame answered. "And I hope you make it to Pumbloomberg safely."

"Thanks, mean eevee lady!" Shelby said. "Actually, you turned out to be very nice! I hope I get to see you again, nice eevee!"

"I hope I get to see you again, too!" Pelame joyfully responded to Shelby. The train then stopped, and the two Pokémon left along with many others whose stop this was. Pelame remained on the train, as her destination was further down the line. According to the train's itinerary, Daoyin was only three more stops away. That meant the trip would be about one more hour.

"Raaah! Tout les bons sièges sont pris!" complained the sneasel from earlier. Pelame remembered him.

"Excusez-moi monsieur!" Pelame called out.

"Hum? Vous avez besoin de quelque chose?" responded the sneasel.

Not knowing much of the language being spoken to her, she removed her backpack from the seat next to herself. She pointed to it.

"Want this seat? You can have it," she said, hoping the sneasel would get the message. She nodded her head to help get her point across.

"Oh? Vous me laissez m'asseoir ici?"

Pelame nodded, hoping she was confirming a request.

"Merci beaucoup mademoiselle!" The sneasel happily took the seat next to Pelame. "Vous êtes vraiment généreuse. C'est vraiment dommage que nous ne puissions pas communiquer."

"I wish I knew more Old Blooman than I currently do," Pelame responded, attempting to make just a bit of conversation. "I'm Pelame." She extended her right paw to the sneasel passenger.

"Pelame?"

"Yes. That's my name."

"Ça je comprends. Vous vous appelez donc Pelame."

"Uh-huh." Pelame nodded.

"Je suis Henri. C'est mon nom."

"Henri?"

"Oui."

"Heureuse de te rencontrer Henri."

"Tout le plaisir est pour moi Pelame."

The two shook hands. About fifteen minutes later, the train came to its next stop. Henri got up to leave.

"C'est mon arrêt. Au revoir Pelame." said Henri as he left.

"Au revoir Henri. I hope we get to meet again," Pelame said. The two waved goodbye to one another. This encounter and the one before it significantly brightened Pelame's mood.

She disembarked in high spirits once the train reached Daoyin Union Station. Going into the station, her first stop was to go pick up a map of the city. Looking at it, she immediately noticed that it was a third of the size of the Ville back in the Twilight Kingdom, which would make it a lot less intimidating to navigate. According to it, Hito Palace (as the Emperor's residence was known) was 128 kilometers to the east of the station. Destination now set, Pelame left the station after buying and eating some dinner. She went to the bus terminal next door and boarded the one heading to the Palace District.

"So, Pelame, you're that determined…" King Kangaskhan II noted. He'd received the news of Walton's death at Pelame's paws as well, even while currently in Ordoxivia. His next target was the Doxivish Capital City of Wixatow. Concentrating on that, he spoke into his Request Stone.

"Seti, status report," he ordered.

From the other end, the furfrou with the Pharaoh Trim replied. "Saint Vladenhagen has been conquered, sire," he proudly stated into the Twilit Sigil on his hip.

"Excellent work. Move on into neighboring territories until you reach Wixatow. Once you do, we'll all take it, and therefore gain Ordoxivia."

"As you wish, sire. I'll put Turnie in charge of this city. He'll see to getting the citizens Twilitized and to the destruction of the Sultan's Palace. By the way, isn't it odd that that building is still called that even though Wixatow's the capital?"

"Doxivish Pokémon wanted it to keep its name as a reminder of how Saint Vladenhagen was once the Doxivish Capital. Of course, there'll be no need for that sentiment soon."

"Indeed, sire. Over and out."

Over in Saint Vladenhagen, a poliwrath approached Seti. "Got a message from the king?" he asked.

"Yep," Seti replied. "I let him know we succeeded in conquering this sorry place. I'll be taking the troops under my command and setting a course toward Wixatow, conquering all provinces and cities we cross along the way. The king just gave me an order to do that."

"Neat. We're gonna get this whole country then, huh?"

"Yes, we are. So while I'm gone, you shall be the Governor of Saint Vladenhagen. Have all the citizens Twilitized and destroy the old Sultan's Palace. I'll leave you thirty of my troops. The remaining 330 will accompany me."

"Yes, sir. I'll take good care of this place. Good luck with your mission!"

Seti set off with his remaining troops to accomplish the mission given to him by the king.

"I'm on my way now, sire," he said into his Sigil. "Falbai will be next to fall."

The king received Seti's message. "Copy that," he responded. Next, the king decided to contact Keldeo.

"Yes, sire?" Keldeo answered.

"Status report, please," the king requested.

"Our mission succeeded. Pinna, Pugno, Benedict, and I just found a stash of Silence Orbs. We've mined every one of them we've found, and are on our way to our barracks in the Northern Mountains of Tradja. In spare time I have between conquering Tradjan provinces, I'll be studying these Orbs' properties."

"Very good, Keldeo. Where will you strike first?"

"We're close to Velland. We're going to strike there first. These Silence Orbs could come in handy."

"That they could. Be sure not to waste them, though."

"I won't sire. Besides, with a town as small as Velland, I doubt we're going to encounter much trouble. I'll let you know when it's ours. By the way, sire, what's to be done about Pelame? We did lose an Elite Nine to her, after all."

"Unfortunately, we can't change our approach with her. I still don't have the ability to Disappear her. But do rest assured that she won't get away with her transgression against us. In fact, I will permit torture of her because of this."

"Excellent, sire. I'd love to see her suffer for her crimes."

"As would I, Keldeo."

"So, how's it going in Ordoxivia?"

"Swimmingly. We've claimed Saint Vladenhagen, and have set up a plan to take the rest of Ordoxivia. We should gain it within the next seven days."

"Very good. I think I'll do the same here. Galileo's over in Berhem. With him so far south in this country, and me so far north, we can meet at Nuhtedam and conquer it all at once!"

"That's an excellent idea, Keldeo. You may proceed with that plan."

"Thanks, sire. Over and out."

"Sir?" Pinna said, taking his chance to speak to his captain upon seeing his conversation with the king end. "Having a nice conversation with your butt there?"

"Ha ha ha," Keldeo replied in a sarcastic tone. "Eh, but it's good you kept your sense of humor. So, what is it?"

"You said we were conquering Velland, right?"

"Yep. We'll proceed once we store these Orbs away."

"Okay. I just hope we won't have to hurt anyone too badly."

"Well, that depends on how they respond to us. They surrender peacefully, no need to fight. They resist, we force them to comply. That's the way it's always been."

"But I haven't done that before."

"Neither have I," Pugno added.

"Me as well," Benedict added. "In fact, Pugno and I have never fought in a war."

"Well, I can't say it'll always be a pleasant experience," Keldeo replied. "We'll be put through some serious pain. And as we've lost Walton, we've already suffered quite a lot."

"I suppose so, sir," Pugno agreed. "I just can't believe Pelame had it in her…"

"Well, she'll pay for that."

"Yeah… but…"

"Don't dwell on her, Pugno. Just focus on our mission for now. Speaking of that, I should let Galileo know our plan for Tradja."

"Okay," Pinna answered. "We'll leave you and your buddy be for now, Sunbutt."

Pinna, Pugno, and Benedict left as Keldeo contacted the Elite Nine with the Star Trim.

It was now nighttime as the bus reached the Palace District of Daoyin. It dropped Pelame off at the last point it was allowed to go. From then on, Pelame had to make her way to Hito Palace on her own. At this point, she felt very lonely.

"Everyone… I'll see you again soon…" she thought to herself as she crossed the crosswalk leading to the main street of the district. Making her way through there brought her a block away from the Palace's front gate. When she approached, she was stopped by a girafarig. The guard inspected her, making sure to look under her neck fur. He nodded once he found it, and then got onto the gate's intercom.

"She's here, sire," the guard said.

"Good," responded the Pokémon on the other end. "Keep her there. I'll be out to greet her."

"As you wish."

It only took three minutes for Pelame to meet who the guard was talking to. It was a very tall mienshao wearing a green and gold robe and a black and red hat. There was no mistaking this Pokémon.

"Emperor Kentahito," Pelame said, bowing. "Your Majesty."

"Greetings, Pelame," Kentahito responded. "Rise, please. And follow me."

Pelame did so, all the way to his throne room in the northern of the five palatial buildings.

"It's been a while, Pelame," Kentahito said. "Last I saw of you, you were only a toddler. Now I see you've grown into a fine young woman."

Pelame couldn't help but blush at that compliment.

"Or rather, there was a time I would be saying that. But from what I've heard of you lately, I must unfortunately rescind that compliment. Instead, I must say that you have grown into a very foolish young woman."

"I know, sire…," Pelame sadly agreed. "I shouldn't have let King Kangaskhan II trick me—"

"Please stay silent. You must hear the true reason I see you as foolish. It's not because of your former assistance to the Twilight King. I cannot blame you for that, as I can see myself being fooled by his cunning. Of course, what you can be blamed for is the following: committing a cold-blooded murder in my nation's technological central city, lashing out at your friends and family just for trying to console you, and leaving them behind with nothing but a measly apology note. I hope you'll pardon my saying so, but those are not the actions I expected from a Pokémon with your exceptional abilities. You have acted very irresponsibly and dangerously."

The tears forming in Pelame's eyes came not just from the harsh words the Emperor was speaking to her, but from the realization that those harsh words were correct. She shut her eyes and hung her head in shame, ears drooping to the sides of her head.

"But I do recognize your talents and your desire to save Pocketurn from disaster. You are very foolish, but there's always a chance to turn that around. Take that chance, and your foolishness will become wisdom. If you permit it, I would like to help you with that. May I?"

Pelame wiped tears out of her eyes. "Yes!" she responded. "Yes, please, sire! Please help me!"

"Then I shall. You can begin turning your foolishness around by making up with your mother and friends." Kentahito pressed a button on his throne. "Send the other guests here to my throne room."

"Wait, are they here?"

"Yes. They got here an hour before you did. They told me everything."

"I see. Well, they're right, and so are you; I've acted way too harshly."

"Indeed. But again, there's always time to turn things around. Use your community service time toward that, why don't you?"

"Community service?"

"Yes. I can't just let you get away with murder, Pelame. Even though you did it on Twilit soil, as Denkidako was at the time you killed Walton, the biological side effects of her corpse remaining in the dam's river has slightly tainted the city's water supply, so all plumbing in the city had to be shut off to prevent illness. That side effect of your crime has directly affected Zotoan soil, so that gives me jurisdiction as the Emperor of Shizazoto to punish you for it. But I have taken your liberating of Denkidako into account and decided to sentence you to community service for one month."

"I see. And I fully accept this punishment."

"That's a start. You're already well on your way to improving yourself. Your community service will begin tomorrow with you helping repair any damage you've done in your murderous rampage. The water's been cleaned already, but there's still work to do." There was then a knock on the door. "And now, here's your next step." He looked over to the door. "Enter, please!"

In came Neve, Blessing, and Treasure. Blessing angrily marched up to Pelame.

"So, what was the big idea ditching us back in Rogokosoka, huh?!" Blessing demanded as soon as she got face-to-face with Pelame.

"Ah… heh, heh, heh…" Pelame blushed. Suddenly, she got slapped in the face. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"What do you think?"

After merely a second of pondering what had happened the last time they were together, Pelame concluded that she deserved that slap in the face.

"Gosh… I've been such a jerk to all of you. It's the Twilit Army I'm mad at; I shouldn't catch innocent bystanders in the crossfire." Pelame turned to her mother. "I know I left you a note, but I'd feel better saying it to your face. I'm very sorry for hitting you." She then turned to Blessing, who was still scowling. "And I'm sorry for attacking you, Blessing. I deserved that slap from you."

"Oh, totally. And your apology is not accepted. If you want me to accept it, you're gonna have to earn it. I'll give you a chance to, and if you mess it up, we are through."

"Blessing, I promise I won't mess my chance up."

"I know you won't Pelame," Neve added. "I believe in you. But I want to make a request of you. I know you're angry at the Twilit Army. You have every right to be. But please don't kill any more of them, will you?"

"Mom…"

"And I know you no longer view Pinna as your father, but I still view him as my husband. I'd like to give him a chance, too."

"Then… we can at least take prisoners, right?"

"Yes, but don't go any farther than that, dear. Okay?"

"Okay, mom. And once again, I'm sorry for attacking you."

"Pelame, you're forgiven for that. Let's just forget that ever happened, okay?"

"Okay."

"Eh, I guess I can try to forget being attacked, too," Blessing begrudgingly said. "But I'm still not forgiving you yet. Remember, Pelame, you're on thin ice with me. Which means you don't upset Treasure, either. Got it?!"

"Okay."

"Blessing, simmer down," Treasure scolded.

"By the way, where's Mori?"

"Oh, he's with his family in the Southern Palace," Neve answered. "They decided to stay with us on account of Mori being wanted by the Twilight Kingdom."

"I see. I think they'll be safe here."

"Oh, and Pelame?" Kentahito interjected. "While you are here, the entirety of the palace is open to you. All except for the Jade Pool. That is the only forbidden area in this palace. Only I can go there. And I will know if you disobey this order. Your Custody will alert me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sire."

"Well, that was child's play," Keldeo gloated as he held up the paper with Mayor Kiefer's signature on it. "Velland is ours now. And all it took was getting that spineless granbull's handwriting."

"So, it was completely unnecessary for us to hold his family hostage?" Pinna asked.

"Not at all, Pinna. We needed leverage in case he refused. Besides, why even ask me such a thing?"

"Nothing, sir."

"In any case, I'll be leaving Steelon in charge of this town." Keldeo turned to the skarmory next to him. "Hear that? You're the new Mayor here."

"Yipee! Thanks, Captain!" Steelon cried. "I'll take good care of this place!"

"I know you will. Now then, I, along with Pinna, Pugno, Benedict, and 200 of the troops here, are going onto other Tradjan regions. I'm station the remaining 180 troops here."

"180?" Pugno asked. "For such a small town, isn't that a bit much?"

"Certainly not, Pugno. If you ask me, there can never truly be enough troops for anything. Now, off we go!"

As the troops followed Keldeo out of Velland, Pinna, Pugno, and Benedict sadly looked back at it.